Amare

Amare Stoudemire was paid almost $125,000 during his senior year at Cypress Creek High School in 2001-02 by a sports agent the Phoenix Suns' star now is battling in court, according to documents filed with a lawsuit against the NBA player. In all, Minneapolis-based agent John Wolf said he gave "cash advances" worth $206,069.28 to Stoudemire in a 15-month period from October 2001 to January 2003, all as an advance against the player's first NBA contract. Stoudemire went directly from Cypress Creek to the NBA, and he was the league's rookie of the year last season.

Each 1 Teach 1 long has been Florida's gold standard for travel-team boys basketball, fielding national-caliber squads in multiple age groups. But never before has the program sponsored by NBA forward and Cypress Creek grad Amar'e Stoudemire put a team on the floor like its current 17-under elite squad. "We're loaded from one through 11," coach Edward "Boobie" Francis said. "I don't believe there's a team out there that can beat us with what we have. " See for yourself next week.

Eight teams picked ahead of the Phoenix Suns on draft night last summer. Today, seven of those NBA clubs probably wish they'd done what the Suns did. And even the eighth -- the Houston Rockets, with top pick Yao Ming -- might be having second thoughts. Phoenix forward Amare Stoudemire had less experience than anyone in the draft -- he was the only player taken directly from high school -- but it's already looking as if he could be the best of them all. Stoudemire, 20, who was born in Lake Wales but finished high school at Cypress Creek, returns home today to play against the Magic, carrying an entirely different image than when he left last summer.

The NBA is expected to review an exchange on Twitter between Amar'e Stoudemire and a fan in which Stoudemire used foul language and a gay slur. An NBA spokesman said in an email Sunday night that he's sure the matter "will be reviewed" by the league. The exchange, which was confirmed by a source close to Stoudemire as being sent by the Knicks star, occurred Saturday when a Knicks fan, whose twitter handle is @BFerrelli, tweeted a message to Stoudemire: "You better come back stronger and quicker to make up for last season.

It may have signaled the end of one era, but it opened the door for the beginning of another. The high school chapter of Amare Stoudemire's basketball saga ended Thursday when Dr. Phillips eliminated Stoudemire's Cypress Creek Bears 97-76 in the Class 6A, Region 1 quarterfinals. But Stoudemire, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound senior at Cypress Creek, already is looking ahead to what's next. And what is next? College ball? Or the NBA? Well, first comes the McDonald All-America game for the nation's top high school seniors.

As I read (Mike Bianchi, Stoudamire saga just a big, shameful mess, July 15) , you left out one other person to blame for the entire Amare Stoudemire fiasco: the media. Yes, you and your cohorts have put this 17-year-old up on a pedestal by writing about him on a weekly basis. You, the media, have made him bigger than life in Orlando. It is sad that the sports writers continue to write about this poor man-child, instead of writing about some of the local basketball players who will actually set foot on the court this school year.

Phoenix rookie Amare Stoudemire had 25 points and 17 rebounds in the Suns' 102-92 victory against the Boston Celtics on Sunday. And he wowed the home crowd during a 9-2 spurt by the Suns when he dribbled behind his back crossing the lane for a layup. But he preferred to speak of his team's balanced play after the game. "It was a must-win situation," Stoudemire said. "Everybody had to come out and play 100 percent, especially on defense." REFEREES SOCK IT TO BICKERING PACERS In the Indiana Pacers' loss at Atlanta, Reggie Miller was ejected in the first quarter for complaining to the officials from the bench.

Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns did not start against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night because he violated a team rule. Team spokeswoman Julie Fie wouldn't divulge what rule Stoudemire broke. The 6-foot-10 power forward from Cypress Creek High School didn't enter the game until there was 2:52 left in the first quarter. Stoudemire, vying for the rookie of the year award, averages 13.2 points and 9.3 rebounds. The Suns also activated forward Tom Gugliotta. Gugliotta had been out of the lineup since Nov. 22 because of a stress fracture in his right foot.

A lingering shoulder injury is costing Cypress Creek High School phenom Amare Stoudemire valuable time as tries to enhance his NBA draft stock. Stoudemire, a 6-foot-10 power forward who is expected to be the only high schooler taken in the first round, bruised his shoulder on a dunk attempt during a workout with Houston almost three weeks ago. The injury came during the third of nine individual workouts his agent, John Wolf, had already planned....

Much-traveled Amare Stoudemire finally gets to start settling into the spot he loves best Saturday -- the low block. Stoudemire, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound junior center who is considered one of the top three juniors in the nation despite not playing high school basketball this season, will play in a recruiting camp called the Sunshine Invitational Discovery Classic on Saturday and Sunday at UCF Arena. It's an audition of sorts by high school players in front of college scouts and recruiting analysts.

Count Amare Stoudemire as a 'Cane. The New York Knicks star forward is now officially a University of Miami student. UM confirmed Monday night that Stoudemire has registered for summer classes, working toward a bachelor's degree in general studies. Earlier in the day, Stoudemire, a.k.a STAT (Standing Tall and Talented) posted on his official Twitter account @Amareisreal "Just enrolled at the University of Miami. Working on continuing my education" and included a photo of himself throwing up "the U" sign.

Amar'e Stoudemire sat at his locker holding his head in his hands, with the left one still stitched up after his encounter with a fire extinguisher case here last week. Finally, he lifted himself to peruse the final statistics from Game 5 -- the last game -- of the Knicks' Eastern Conference quarterfinal against the Heat Wednesday night. Stoudemire could not have liked what he saw: 14 points, four rebounds, five turnovers and six personal fouls in 31 minutes and 41 seconds, a dreary finish to a mostly dreary second season with the team.

Amar'e Stoudemire was back at the scene of his crime, and some Knicks wouldn't let him live down what he did the last time he was here. Rookie Josh Harrellson called Stoudemire "The Extinguisher. " Assistant coach Darrell Walker pulled out an autographed copy of a newspaper with Stoudemire on it, leaving AmericanAirlines Arena with his left arm in a sling and his left hand heavily wrapped from punching a fire extinguisher in frustration after Game 2. Stoudemire laughed and was able to joke about it himself after practice Tuesday, saying he didn't "want to look at that fire extinguisher at all" when he got back to the building.

Offering the type of exuberance that got him in this situation in the first place, New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire said Wednesday he is hopeful of playing Sunday in Game 4 of this opening-round best-of-seven NBA playoff series against the Miami Heat . Stoudemire opened a deep gash in his left, non-shooting, hand in a moment of anger following Monday's 104-94 loss to the Heat, when he slammed the hand into a...

New York Knicks star forward Amar'e Stoudemire cut his left hand in the moments after Monday night's 104-94 Game 2 playoff loss to the Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena. Stoudemire injured himself punching the glass casing around a fire extinguisher in a hallway on the way back to the locker room, according to multiple reports. Knicks spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz confirmed that Stoudemire suffered cuts to his hand in a postgame incident and said paramedics and trainers were working on him. No other details were immediately provided.

Nothing gets NBA fans jumping out of their chairs, using exclamation points on Twitter or scouring YouTube for highlights than a dunk. It's basketball's simplest shot, yet capable of creating so much excitement – or embarrassment – at any given time. These are the ten players most likely to cause a stir by throwing down a ferocious or acrobatic dunk during a game. Beginning Monday morning, we'll unveil our rankings of the NBA's best dunkers. There'll be two rankings a day — one in the morning, one in the afternoon — with the final pick coming on Friday afternoon.

OCALA -- A state athletics panel wanted answers from basketball prodigy Amare Stoudemire on Thursday. It wanted answers to questions about a hodgepodge of academic transcripts that are preventing the 18-year-old from playing for West Orange High and displaying the athletic skills recruiting experts predict will propel him to stardom in the National Basketball Association. He didn't have the right answers, and Stoudemire was rejected for a second time by a Florida High School Activities Association appeals council.

Detroit Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups would like to see NBA referees held publicly accountable for their calls. "After the game, I have to talk about what happened down the stretch, why we did this or that," Billups told the Detroit Free Press. "I wish the refs had to do that." His comments came after teammates Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton were ejected in a game Friday that the Pistons later lost to the New York Knicks. After Wallace was called for two fouls early in the third quarter, he went to the bench angry.

Who are the 10 best athletes from Central Florida high schools now playing professionally? Today, we take a look at who we consider to be the best. The list runs the gamut, everything from the big three in pro sports — football, basketball and baseball — to volleyball, swimming and golf. Cutting the list at 10 was difficult. There were plenty of deserving players including Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers (Lake Mary), Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting center Jeff Faine (Seminole)

New York Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire is making good with his extra down time during the NBA lockout. The former Cypress Creek high school basketball star recently signed a publishing deal with scholastic books to produce a children's book series according to online reports. The book series, titled STAT: Standing Tall and Talented, a chapter book series for middle-grade readers launching in August 2012. “I am excited to create my book series with Scholastic,” Amar'e Stoudemire said in a press release.